Fluid-tight bottle cap



Sept, 1 1967 A. BEREZIAT ETAL 3,341,046 7 FLUID-'TIGHT BOTTLE CAP Filed March 29, 1966 United States Patent 3,341,046 FLUID-TIGHT BOTTLE CAP Andr Bereziat, Lyon, and Guy Janssen, Chatou, France, assignors to Societe Astra de Bouchage, Surbouchage & Conditionnement, Societe Anonyme, Lyon, France, and Georges Lesieur & ses Fils, Societe Anonyme, Paris, France Filed Mar. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 538,373

Claims priority, application France, Apr. 23, 1965,

14,383, Patent 1,453,863

2 Claims. (Cl. 215-41) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This fluid-tight cap for closing the neck portion of a container comprising a base element of flexible plastic material which is adapted to fit on the neck of the container, and a cap element, which is adapted to close the top of said base element is characterized in that it comprises a spider formed with radial arms which is situated in the orifice bounded by the lower end of the internal skirt, the arms of said spider assisting in reinforcing the pressure exerted by said skirt on said inner neck surface.

The present invention relates in general to fluid-tight bottle caps or stoppers and has specific reference to a fluidtight cap consisting of two elements, namely a base element of flexible-elastic material fitting on the neck of a container, and a cap element proper closing said base element, characterized in that the base element comprises on the one hand two internal and external coaxial skirts fitting respectively inside and outside the neck of the container, and on the other hand a cylindrical or slightly tapered sleeve projecting to the outside, and that the cap element comprises a skirt fitting into the base sleeve, the fluid-tightness between the cap element and the neck of the container on the one hand, and between the cap element and the base element on the other hand, being assured by the elasticity of the material constituting the base element which co-acts with the rigidity or semi-rigidity of the neck of the container and of the cap element respectively.

The neck is so shaped as to expand the skirts of the base element which, under these conditions, are caused to exert a pressure against the neck wall and ensure a reliable fluid-tightness, especially if the neck has formed on its inner wall a rib having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the internal skirt of the base element at this level, the shape of this base element being thus resiliently altered by this rib on which it is somewhat wedged, thus further improving the fluid-tightness and, similarly, as the outer diameter of the internal skirt of said cap element is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the base element, the elastic distortion causes a wedging action ensuring the requisite fluid-tightness.

A typical form of embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the attached drawing showing in axial section a fluid-tight bottle cap according to this invention.

As shown in the drawing, the cap or stopper according to this invention, which is designed for fitting on the neck 1 of a container, comprises two elements, namely a base element 2 of flexible elastic material such as a rubber or plastic material, for example polyethylene, and a cap element 3 of rigid material such as.polystyrene. These two elements may be kept attached to each other, as shown in the drawing, in their closed position before use,

by means of an annular tamper-proof strip 4 rigid with one of the elements, in this example the base element 2, this strip bearing on a shoulder 5 constituting the lower edge of the external skirt 6 of cap element 3. The annular portion by which the tamper-proof strip 4 is connected to a transverse flange 10 of base element 2 has holes 7 formed therethrough to facilitate the tearing up of said strip when opening the cap for the first time. However, it is clear that the tamper-proof strip 4 is not absolutely necessary for achieving the scope contemplated by the invention, which is to ensure a satisfactory fluid-tightness.

The base element 2 comprises an external skirt 8 and an internal skirt 9, these skirts being coaxial and depending from the aforesaid flange 10. These skirts are so shaped that they adhere strongly by elasticity to the neck located between them and engaged by the lower face of said flange 10. The neck 1 may have any suitable shape in order to preserve the relative spacing of said internal and external skirts 9 and 8, so as to create a satisfactory adherence of these skirts on the neck surface. The neck may have to this end a preferably S-shaped meridian section, as shown in the drawing.

The aforesaid skirts 8 and 9 are slightly tapered and yield somewhat when the base element 2 is fitted over the neck 1 and the latter is pinched between the skirts 8 and 9. The alteration in shape of the internal skirt 9, which results from the fitting of this base element 2 on the neck 1, is shown in chain-dotted lines in the drawing.

In order to increase the pressure exerted by the internal skirt 9 on the neck 1 the base element 2 comprises at its lower portion a spider comprising radial arms 11 connected on the one hand to a central core 12 and on the other hand to an internal annular U-sectioned trough 13 formed at the lower end of skirt 9.

In the example described and illustrated herein, the base element 2 may comprise at its upper portion constituting the cylindrical or slightly tapered sleeve 14 an outflared beaded pouring lip 15.

The cap element 3 proper comprises a transverse bot tom 16 having an internal skirt extension 17 of cylindrical or slightly tapered configuration, which fits in the sleeve 14 and also partially in the internal skirt 9 of said base element in the closed position. In this case the fluidtightness between the sleeve 14 and skirt 17 of cap element 3 is obtained by causing the inherent elasticity of the base material to co-act with the relative rigidity of the cap element 3.

Of course, the specific form of embodiment shown and described hcreinabove with reference to the attached drawing is given by way of example and should not be construed as limiting the invention since many modifications may be brought thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a fluid tight cap for closing the neck portion of a container, said cap comprising a base element of flexible plastic material which is adapted to fit on the neck of the container, and a cap element which is adapted to close the top of said base element, wherein said base element comprises on the one hand two coaxial internal and eX ternal skirts fitting respectively to the inside and to the outside of the neck of said container, and on the other hand a substantially cylindrical sleeve projecting to the outside, the internal skirt defining an orifice, said cap element comprising a skirt fitting into said cylindrical sleeve of said base element, the improvement consisting in a spider formed with radial arms, said spider being situated in said orifice at the lower end of said internal 3 skirt, the arms of said spider assisting in reinforcing the pressure exerted by said skirt on said inner neck surface. 2. Fluid tight cap as set forth in claim 1 comprising a U-sectioned internal trough extending along the lower edge of the orifice of said internal skirt of said base element and integral with the radial arms of said spider.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Henchert. Brown 215--55 X Bereziat et a1. Goth 222-541 FORElGN PATENTS France. Italy.

10 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DONAL F. NORTON, Examiner. 

1. IN A FLUID TIGHT CAP FOR CLOSING THE NECK PORTION OF A CONTAINER, SAID CAP COMPRISING A BASE ELEMENT OF FLEXIBLE PASTIC MATERIAL WHICH IS ADAPTED TO FIT ON THE NECK OF THE CONTAINER, AND A CAP ELEMENT WHICH IS ADAPTED TO CLOSE THE TOP OF SAID BASE ELEMENT, WHEREIN SAID BASE ELEMENT COMPRISES ON THE ONE HAND TWO COAXIAL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SKIRTS FITTING RESPECTIVELY TO THE INSIDE AND TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE NECK OF SAID CONTAINER, AND ON THE OTHER HAND A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE PROJECTING TO THE OUTSIDE, THE INTERNAL SKIRT DEFINING AN ORIFICE, SAID CAP ELEMENT COMPRISING A SKIRT FITTING INTO SAID CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE OF SAID BASE ELEMENT, THE IMPROVEMENT CONSISTING IN A SPIDER FORMED WITH RADIAL ARMS, SAID SPIDER BEING SITUATED IN SAID ORIFICE AT THE LOWER END OF SAID INTERNAL SKIRT, THE ARMS OF SAID SPIDER ASSISTING IN REINFORCING THE PRESSURE EXERTED BY SAID SKIRT ON SAID INNER NECK SURFACE. 